Alan Johnson in row with Brown over ID cards as minister's allies 'think leadership will just fall into his lap'

Home Secretary Alan Johnson was accused yesterday of undermining Gordon Brown as the Labour leadership was hit by a fresh bout of infighting.

Mr Brown’s allies say relations with Mr Johnson have been damaged after disagreements over identity cards and 24-hour drinking.

And tensions have been further inflamed by claims from Labour whips that MPs close to Mr Johnson, one of the favourites to succeed Mr Brown, have taken soundings to see if he has enough support to challenge for the leadership.

All smiles: But Johnson and Brown are at loggerheads, according to their aides

‘Some people who should know better are acting as though Alan only has to wait and the leadership will drop into his lap before the election,’ said one source.

‘Alan must know it is going on and he has got to get a grip on these people.’

The dispute is the latest evidence of Downing Street jitters over speculation that Mr Brown may be forced to stand down before the election.

Mr Johnson angered him in the summer by not notifying him in advance of his decision to issue ID cards on a voluntary basis.

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There has been another disagreement over Mr Brown’s decision to do a U-turn on allowing pubs and clubs to open round the clock.

In an interview to be broadcast on BBC1 today, Mr Brown says he has never been fully convinced by the case for all day drinking, which was strongly supported by Tony Blair.

He plans a law to let councils ban round-the-clock opening in town centres suffering regular disorder.

But sources close to Mr Brown say Mr Johnson has given only ‘half-hearted’ support to the change.

He was accused last month of trying to quietly drop the new curbs put forward by Mr Brown.

Mr Brown transferred Mr Johnson from Health to the high-profile post of Home Secretary in June as part of a series of desperate moves to prevent being brought down by a Cabinet mutiny.

Some Home Office insiders say the department has ‘drifted’ since Mr Johnson replaced Jacqui Smith, who quit following the outrage over her Commons expenses.

This has fuelled suspicions among Brown allies that Mr Johnson is secretly plotting against him.

Others claim it merely reflects Mr Johnson’s laidback style. ‘Alan is not the type to demand 50 initiatives before breakfast and a couple of soundbites for lunch,’ joked one.

‘He gets on with his work in his own solid way. He would never dream of being disloyal to the Prime Minister.’

But the rumours surrounding Mr Brown’s hopes of survival persist. MPs are threatening to challenge Brown loyalist Tony Lloyd’s chairmanship of the powerful Parliamentary Labour Party group as a warning shot to the Prime Minister.

A Home Office spokesman said last night that Mr Johnson fully supported Mr Brown’s policy on 24-hour drinking.